Pattern Review - Butterick 5078

Okay! I got some sewing done for moi. I liked this dress a lot, and decided the other day to make it. I have a recital coming up next Monday, and I want a dress for it, so I figured I'd take this for a test run. I'm glad I did. Read on...

Pattern Description: From the Butterick website, "MISSES’ DRESSES: Dresses A, B in two lengths are pullover with bias front bodice, cowl neckline, gathered midriff, flared skirt and three-quarter length sleeves. A: below mid-knee length. B: mid-calf length." I made View B.

Sizing: 8-24. I made a 14.

How'd it look compared to the pattern envelope? Pretty close. It's difficult to see the details on the photo from the pattern envelope. But it looks like the line drawing. If only I looked like the line drawing!

Likes/Dislikes? This dress looks very much like a Nally&Millie dress I had back a couple of years ago. It's very flattering to many figure types. The ruched waistline hides a multitude of sins, and is good for figures of many ages. I'm not as crazy about the ruching at the back.

How were the instructions? They were okay. It's really a simple dress to make. There are some changes that I made, and others that I will make the next time. If you follow the instructions as printed, you'll wind up with a perfectly good result.

Any issues (good or bad)? It's not a huge issue, but it is worth noting that this pattern runs big. I made a 14, but the next time I would go down to a 12, possibly a 10. Now, I have been shaping up lately, but I haven't lost that much weight! The neckline on this is also wider than I expected it to be. I need to add lingerie stays, and I have very wide, straight shoulders. If you have narrow shoulders, you will need to to a muslin of at least the bodice to make sure it doesn't slide off.

Fabric Used: An absolutely beautiful modal rayon jersey that I have had in my stash for about 2 years. It's so soft and comfortable, it's like wearing pajamas.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: FBA. Also, my original Nally&Millie dress had narrow-overlocked hems, so I used those here, too.


Oh, I almost forgot to add. They tell you to sew the bodice side seams and attach the bodice to the skirt, then ease in the sleeves. I have to tell you, with knits, this drives me crazy. In almost every case, including this one, you can sew the sleeves in at the armscye before sewing up the side seams. That's what I did here. It was much easier than the way the instructions would have you do it.

Any Changes if You Make it Again? The way this is constructed, you sew a ruched midriff band onto an inner band (they call it the corselette). To do this, they have you sew the side seams, then gather the midriff band at the side seams and secure the gathering stitches. In the next iteration, I'll use a length of clear elastic and gather the ruched band onto that. I think that will work better.

Also, as I mentioned above, I wasn't that wild about the ruching in the back. To me it looks like high-hip fluff. For the next version, I'll re-draft the pattern back to eliminate the ruching and make a single piece of the back bodice and back corselette. Here's what the back looks like:


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it? I am going to make it again. For my recital, I'm going to make it from This Paisley Knit. I do recommend it, but make sure the bodice fits the way you want it to, and consider if you are doing yourself a favor by putting ruching at your back waist. It's good for some folks, but not for everyone.

Here's the finished dress front:


Conclusion: Overall a good design. It's flattering to a number of figures. Do make a test version first to check sizing and the shoulder fit.

Happy Sewing!